MEINERS OAKS: OJAI'S MURAL DISTRICT.

From Andra Belknap, Ojai Valley News:

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A Ukrainian man and a Kiwi spent the Jan. 26 weekend in the Ace Hardware parking lot, painting a mural on the side of the Hamsa Studio as a gift to the Ojai community.

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Aaron Glasson, from New Zealand, said he has visited Ojai numerous times and felt compelled to create an uplifting mural after witnessing the impact of the Thomas Fire on the community.

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Glasson and Aleksei Bordusov have both painted murals around the world. Glasson's work spans the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, Estonia and Grenada.

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The new addition to the Hamsa Studio, at 109 E. El Roblar Drive, features a plant figure — Glasson calls him “sprout man” — offering a droplet of water to a flower. Glasson sees the flower as a “Mother Earth figure.” The two beings stand upon dry, cracked earth.

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Bordusov designed the sprout man and Glasson responded to his friend's work with the Mother Earth figure.

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“It's about regeneration and renewal after the fire,” Glasson said, adding the design is “open to interpretation.”

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Isha Ferraz, owner of the Hamsa Studio, was delighted when the duo approached her.

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“(Glasson) kind of just emailed me out of the blue,” she said. “He said for some reason, he felt drawn to this wall.”

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“We actually wanted to do a mural on the side, but we couldn't afford it,” she added. “It was just way too expensive.”

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Glasson and Bordusov initially intended to fund the project on their own, but have received donations from passerbys and were given a paint discount from Ace Hardware.

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One man, Glasson said, offered him a small amount of cash so the duo could buy beers after they finished painting for the day.

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The duo completed their work Jan. 29, with both men taking breaks from painting to chat about their new artwork with curious community members. 

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The mural's final design was a surprise to Ferraz.

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“The idea was that it was going to be an inspiring work of art for Ojai, really, that's all I needed to know,” she said. “I think it's lovely.”